Gun charges were brought in the Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court on Monday as a result of a State Trooper's search of a Cape Cod man's car. According to the Cape Cod Times the trooper stopped Roosevelt Wilkins of South Yarmouth for civil motor vehicle infractions on Tremont Street Saturday morning. When the trooper asked Mr. Wilkins for his license he allegedly said that it was in a bag in the trunk. I say "allegedly" because this is the exact location where the police found a .38 caliber revolver loaded with hollow point bullets.
As the trooper searched the trunk, Wilkins ran away only to be apprehended by nearby Boston Police officers. By running, Wilkins may have eliminated a possible line of defense -- that he did not know that the weapon was in the trunk. After all, flight may be used at trial to show what is called "consciousness of guilt." However, if the gun was actually in a bag that also contained his driver's license, he did not have this defense anyway.
So the case may come down to a motion to suppress the results of the search. I would bet that Mr. Wilkins will claim that he did not direct the trooper to the bag. Such a claim would make sense. If Wilkins had a valid driver's license, but it was not in his possession, he could have just said so and as a result simply received an additional civil charge. Why in the world would he tell the trooper that his license was in a bag where he was keeping a gun? Moreover, why would Wilkins point the trooper in the direction of the trunk at all?
Wilkins should challenge the search with a motion to suppress. He is entitled to a hearing where his attorney may cross examine police witnesses. He may also testify on his own behalf. If he is able to convince one of the excellent judges of the Roxbury Division that he did not consent to the trooper's search of the bag, the case could very well be dismissed. If not, he is looking at a mandatory minimum jail term.
The stakes are high, hence Wilkins is in need of an experienced criminal defense attorney to help him out of this jam. The most important step will be the motion to suppress.
A few other details.
First, the article quotes the police as having said that Roosevelt "lacked the permit to possess that kind of ammunition." I believe that someone misquoted the police, because they know that there is no special permit required to possess hollow points. A license to carry a firearm would cover that.
Second, the article quotes the Roxbury Division's clerk as saying that Wilkins was charged with unlicensed carrying of a firearm, unlicensed possession of ammunition, and a "third firearm charge." It is a safe bet that the third charge is "carrying a loaded firearm." This charge -- Chapter 269, section 10(n) requires an additional sentence beyond that required for carrying the gun itself.
Lastly, the article says that Wilkins received pre-trial probation for assault and battery in 2004. To some readers, this looks bad for Wilkins. But, it actually means that Wilkins does not have much of a record at all. That charge was a misdemeanor, it is over 8 years old, and he was not even convicted.
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